The Little Christmas Teashop of Second Chances by Donna Ashcroft @Donnashc @bookouture #bookreview

Happy weekend book lovers!

81 days until Christmas! And today I have another Christmas book review for you all! Huge thanks to Noelle for my invitation and to Donna Ashcroft for her lovely story!💚

My Thoughts

Dreams do come true, especially at Christmas time!🎄

This is a sweet romance all about believing in yourself… it does take place at Christmas time, however I wouldn’t call it a Christmas romance, more of a romance that takes place during Christmas…. I felt this was a wonderful balance and will really appeal to those who aren’t crazy about Christmas books… this also is the second book in the Castle Cove series, but it can be read as a standalone… although the first book in the series is quite fabulous!

Lily is content working in the Castle Teashop, however her dream is to be a chef… The only thing stopping her is herself! Josh is doing what he loves, he is a photographer, but his parents are still trying to persuade him to be a doctor…. two people who aren’t quite comfortable in their own skin thrown together to plan a wedding… Lilly’s BFF is marrying Josh’s big brother, the thing is they are not in the country so it is up to Lily and Josh to plan the perfect Christmas wedding…. it was sweet watching Josh and Lily trying to build each other up, and in doing so they both became more comfortable with themselves…. their flirting was very sweet and occasionally a little awkward, but still sweet…

Something I really liked about this book and the previous book in the series is how prominent a part family played… Lily was raised by her father and older brothers… her estranged mother has re-entered her life, making things a little complicated…. josh’s parents have a different idea about his future than he does, and he has also felt second-best to big brother Paul…. as most familial relationships are these were complicated, but there still was tremendous love and a tremendous sense of family… also loved the family that all the villagers really were to one another, blood or no blood! As they say friends are family that you get to pick!

Recommend to those of you that are fans of clean romance with fabulous characters and a beautiful setting💕

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

Snow is beginning to fall around the cosy Castle Teashop, with its toasty log fire, scrumptious mince pies and delicious hot chocolates. Romance is in the air and Lily King is hoping some winter magic will help to make her dreams come true…

Twenty-five-year-old Lily King is wondering when her life is going to start. She adores working at the much-loved Castle Teashop, surrounded by familiar faces and delicious cakes. But she’s stuck in a rut. She’s just been dumped by her boyfriend and her dream job seems to be slipping through her fingers.

When her best friend Emily Campbell needs urgent help to organise her enchanting Christmas wedding, Lily realises it’s finally her moment to shine and reach for the opportunities she’s been wishing for. Can she pull off the biggest celebration Castle Cove has ever seen or will something – or someone – make things more complicated than she imagined?

Rebellious and handsome photographer Josh Havellin-Scott has always felt like an outsider, especially next to his perfect older brother, who is about to get married. At the last minute, Josh finds himself roped into plans for the Big Day, the very last thing he wants to do, until he is meets creative and quirky Lily King…

When Lily and Josh are thrown together, it’s clear they couldn’t be more different. But they begin to realise that opposites can attract – and sometimes when you’re not looking for love, it comes and finds you when you least expect it. With some festive magic, will they manage to work together and save the day?

And could they discover a winter romance of their very own along the way?

An utterly scrumptious festive romance about the importance of being true to yourself, following your dreams and opening your heart to second chances. Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson and Debbie Macomber.

About the Author

Donna Ashcroft was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager. 

Donna wrote novels for over ten years before being published. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and was a joint winner of the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017. 
Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her teenagers about who is doing the washing up.

Author Social Media Links: 

Website: www.donna-writes.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaAshcroftAuthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Donnashc

 

that’s all folks! Berit☀️✨ 

 

 

Tell Nobody by Patricia Gibney @trisha460 @bookouture #bookreview

Hope you’re having a fabulous Friday and gearing up for a weekend full of fun and reading!

Thrilled to share with you today my review for this wonderful fifth installment in the DI Lottie Parker series… A huge thank you to Kim for my invitation and to Patricia Gibney for this fabulous series🧡

The boy’s body was so white it was almost transparent. But that’s not what caused the nausea to rise up her throat. He was so young. His body was unmarked, surrounded by a halo of plucked wildflowers.

One hot summer evening, eleven-year-old Mikey Driscoll is on the way home from playing with friends. Two days later, his body is discovered on a bed of wildflowers by some local teenagers.

The case is assigned to Detective Lottie Parker and this time it’s personal. The victim was a close friend of her son, Sean, from the run-down Munbally estate on the other side of town. Sean tells his mother Mikey was behaving normally before he died, but Lottie can’t help but feel that her son is keeping something from her…

Then days later, another boy is found dead, surrounded by wild flowers next to beautiful Ladystown Lake.

On the hunt for a twisted individual with a terrifying calling card, Lottie must uncover the web of secrets within Mikey’s circle of friends. Someone is hiding something but who are they protecting and can Lottie find out before it’s too late? Lottie is desperate to catch the killer before he strikes again because this time her own child could be in terrible danger…

If you love Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest heart-stopping thriller from Patricia Gibney. Tell Nobody will keep you guessing until the very last page.

My Thoughts

This is a suspenseful intense read that will keep you on the edge of your seat…

This is the fifth book in the DI Lottie Parker series… The thing I love about this series is even though it is a police procedural it is very character driven…Lottie’s complex personal life is a central part of the series… along with the more personal relationships her team has with one another…. this really allows you the reader to feel a strong connection with the characters, and for me this just adds another layer and dimension to the story…

This book starts out with the murders of three children, one of them just a baby… even more terrifying these murders are way too close to home… with one of the victims being Lottie’s son Sean‘s friend Mikey… so who is killing young boys and leaving their bodies posed with wildflowers? Is it the same murderer? Is it a copycat? What could the possible motive be? Convinced that her son Sean and friends have some secrets they are not sharing, and worried he could possibly be the next victim, Lottie immerses herself fully into this case…

Lottie is a likable character even though her life is quite a hot mess… living with her mother after a fire is forcing her to repair that relationship… she is still on again off again with Marc, hoping there is some resolution with this in the next book? And she continues to piss off the higher ups! Not to mention all the bickering and conflict within the team…. and Lottie is still self-medicating, Lottie needs a good talking to buy a good friend! As much as I adore Lottie for who she is, a little character growth in the next book would be fabulous! This is a series that you read for the mystery and stay for the characters!

An intriguing captivating installment in this series with a tragic and heartbreaking end! Absolutely recommend two fans of the series, and if you have not read the series yet, what are you waiting for?

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://geni.us/B07FDFNL32Social
iBooks: http://ow.ly/pZD330m31vr
Kobo: http://ow.ly/Lcte30m31xE
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/eKvQ30m31Da

About the Author

Patricia lives in the midlands of Ireland. She is an avid crime reader so naturally she found herself writing in the crime genre. To date, (July 2018) Patricia has sold over ONE MILLION COPIES in the LOTTIE PARKER series.

A life changing experience in 2009, with the death of her 49 year old husband, meant she had to give up her career, and over the following few years, she rekindled her love of art and writing.
Initially Patricia wrote and illustrated a children’s book, but her real ambition was to write a novel. And she did!

In January 2016, she joined with Ger Nichol of The Book Bureau Literary Agency. In July 2016, Patricia signed with Bookouture for four DI Lottie Parker crime novels.
The Missing Ones (Book 1) published in March 2017 and to date has reached a high of number 2 in Amazon UK Kindle charts and number 6 in the US. It also achieved number 1 in all its categories. It is a bestseller in UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Book 2 in the series, The Stolen Girls, published on July 6th, 2017.
Book 3, The Lost Child, is on pre-order and is published on October 27th, 2017.
Book 4, NO SAFE PLACE was published in March 2018
Book 5, TELL NOBODY is published on 3rd October 2018

Tweets by trisha460

https://www.facebook.com/trisha460/

Thank you for stopping bye! Berit☀️✨

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way @CamillaLWay @BerkleyPub #6bookbestieslieswetold #6bookbestiesapproved #bookreview

TGIF book friends!

Thrilled to share with you today my review for this twisted juicy psychological thriller! This was a read with my BOOK BESTY’s and as always we had a fabulous discussion! It is always so much fun to try to figure out what is going on?💕💕💕

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way

My Thoughts

WOWZA! This was psychological thriller PERFECTION!

This book had me riveted from cover to cover… it was one of those books that I flew through and as I got closer to the end I wanted to slow down, because I was not ready to let this book go…. but as much as I wanted this book not to end, I needed to know what all had happened, and what was going to happen next…. because let me tell you what, Camilla Way had me completely stumped!

This book starts out with two seemingly separate storylines, That you know are somehow connected… but how? Clara wakes up to find her boyfriend luke’s phone, but no Luke…. where is he? Did he runaway? Was he kidnapped? Clara knows he was being stalked? But by who? And why? 30 years earlier in 1986, beth a loving stay at home mother is struggling to raise her troubled daughter Hannah… OK troubled might be an understatement Hannah is pretty much a psychopath…. her actions, words, and looks were simply chilling, and her character was portrayed so perfectly and realistically … seriously I had chills running down my back from some of her evil looks!

So how are Clara and Beth’s stories connected? This book had my mind spinning, I had so many theories going on, most of them pretty convoluted… this was a group read with my book Besties and we were all scratching our heads trying to figure this one out… and as Camilla Way began to weave these stories together the fog began to lift and it became crystal clear…. Crystal clear that this was one Hot mess! So many lies leading to so many secrets, and so many secrets leading to so many lies….

This was a fast-paced addictive read that will keep you glued to those pages…. A book that will keep you guessing until the bitter end, if you figure this one out… my hats off to you! Strongly recommend to all psychological thriller lovers, the twists and turns in this one will leave you reeling!

*** A huge thank you to Berkley Pub for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

The highly acclaimed author of Watching Edie returns with a new novel of dark psychological suspense that explores how those closest to us have the most to hide…

When Clara’s boyfriend, Luke, disappears, everyone believes that he’s left her, but Clara thinks she knows the truth. Recent evidence suggests that Luke had a stalker, and Clara worries that he’s been kidnapped. Then Luke’s older sister, Emma, who vanished twenty years ago, suddenly reappears.

Emma wants to help Clara with her search for Luke, but she refuses to talk about what happened–even though it nearly destroyed her family when she vanished. And the deeper Clara digs into Luke’s mysterious disappearance, the more convinced she is that the two incidents are connected. 

GET A COPY

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The Book Besties

My Besties are all sharing their reviews today as well, they’d love you too visit their blogs as well!💕

Holly@ Dressed to Read

Jennifer@ Tarheel Reader

Mackenzie@ PhDiva

Melisa@ The Book Collective

Kendall

These girls are not just my reading buddies, but they are my true friends, there isn’t a day that goes by that we do not chitchat and vent to one another about books and so much more! Never thought I could establish friendships with people I’ve never even seen in real life, but I really have and I am extremely grateful and proud to call each of you my friends!💕💕💕 so much love and support I am a lucky girl!

Book friends are the best friends!!! Berit☀️✨

Strong by Kylie Scott @KylieScottbooks @InkSlingerPR #BookReview

Happy Friday friends!

Excited to share with you today my review for this wonderful novella! It is part of my absolute favorite romance series, so if you have not started the series yet, what are you waiting for? It is really one of the best!💕💕

Many thanks to Danielle for my invitation to the blog tour!

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kylie Scott comes a new story in her Stage Dive series…

When the girl of your dreams is kind of a nightmare.

As head of security to Stage Dive, one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Sam Knowles has plenty of experience dealing with trouble. But spoilt brat Martha Nicholson just might be the worst thing he’s ever encountered. The beautiful troublemaker claims to have reformed, but Sam knows better than to think with what’s in his pants. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to makehis heart fall into line.

Martha’s had her sights on the seriously built bodyguard for years. Quiet and conservative, he’s not even remotely her type. So why the hell can’t she get him out of her mind? There’s more to her than the Louboutin wearing party-girl of previous years, however. Maybe it’s time to let him in on that fact and deal with this thing between them.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

My Thoughts

This is a short but sweet Stagedive story…

This is one of my all-time favorite romance series, so this little novella was like the cherry on top of my Stagedive Sundae… but no worries if you have not read the series yet this book will work as a standalone… it will be the appetizer to your Stagedive meal, because believe me you will want to continue with the series after reading this! It was so much fun revisiting the band… and even though this is Sam and Martha’s story we still got a fair dose of the boys and their significant others…. Sam is the band’s long time Head of security and Martha is Ben’s sister and David’s ex and the Stagedive villain…. it’s a short book so the romance moves quickly, although it has been years in the making… these two have a lot of chemistry so there is plenty of sizzle and steam in this book…

The perfect afternoon pick me up, a short story filled with fun and fire 🔥

*** A huge thank you to Kylie Scott for my copy of this book ***

AVAILABLE NOW

AMAZON US | AMAZON AUS | AMAZON UK

“Ooh, busted,” said Lizzy. “The bodyguard caught you looking.”

“Shut it.” I inched my chin up a bit, trying not to frown because frowning gave you lines. “Sam and I have known each other for years and nothing has ever happened. You’re completely wrong about this.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, there’s nothing between us.”

“So that’s why you were staring at him?”

I chose not to answer that. “And you know he prefers to be called executive protection officer instead of bodyguard.”

At this, Lizzy burst out giggling, a malicious glee in her eyes. No wonder I liked my sister-in-law these days.

Ben shot us both an irritated glance. We both ignored it.

Of course, I’d known Sam would probably be here. Rock stars going out in public could be a delicate thing. People had a tendency to get overexcited. And while one person wanting an autograph wasn’t a problem, twenty or thirty of them suddenly swarming definitely could be. Having once been part of the entourage, I’d seen it happen to Ben and his fellow Stage Dive band members enough times to be wary. And you couldn’t get by with ordinary security. Rock stars needed protection from their over-zealous fans, but on the other hand they didn’t want the fans roughed up or hurt in any way. It required a delicate balance: control, experience, and a whole gamut of scary physical skills. Hence Sam.

Still, Portland seemed generally less crazy than the good old days back in LA. All of the guys seemed calmer and more settled away from the constant craziness of the party scene. Not to mention the effect of all of the wives/partners and various offspring. The biggest rock band in the world had officially been domesticated.

It was kind of cute. Or sad. I don’t know.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stir you,” she lied. “What do you think of your brother’s new musical bromance?”

On the small stage set up in the corner of the room, a young man wailed his heart out while playing an acoustic guitar. Much angst about a girl who only called him after midnight. Trust a rockster to turn a simple booty call into a heartbreaking ballad. The song was damn good though. He had talent. If only I hadn’t had my fill of the type when I was younger. The kid looked to be in his early to mid-twenties. Lanky with lots of tattoos. Your typical rock ’n roll Prince Charming. Gag. These days my type ran more toward…actually, what I needed or wanted in a male was a total mystery.

And my gaze did not stray back to Sam. That did not happen.

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

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Have a lovely day! Berit☀️✨